Eric Grounds, who was responsible for a £35m campaign for Marie Curie and a £350m appeal for the defence National Rehabilitation Centre in Warwickshire, will take up his role as capital appeal director in the New Year.

Eric has also directed a range of heritage and cultural appeals, including successful campaigns for the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Museum, the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, the Highland Clearances Project and the Roses Charitable Trust in Mull.

Mr Grounds, who is a fellow of the Institute of Fundraising, said: “I’m very excited to be leading the Capital Appeal for Paisley Museum.

“Paisley is a fantastic town and its people are its greatest asset. This project will transform Paisley Museum into an international attraction that celebrates the town’s unique culture and heritage. We want everyone to get behind this project so we can show the world what Paisley has to offer.”

Work is already underway to transform Paisley Museum, which closed its doors last month, into a world-class tourist destination.

Redesigned by architects AL_A, the new museum will house Paisley’s internationally significant art, science and natural history collections and tell the story of the Paisley Pattern and the town’s time as a centre of global textile industry.

The museum is expected to attract 125,000 visits a year when it reopens in 2022 and boost Paisley’s economy by £72m over 30 years.

The £42m museum transformation is part of a £100m investment in Paisley’s cultural venues and public realm, led by Renfrewshire Council. The capital appeal campaign will raise £5m for the museum project, which has already secured funding from the council, the Scottish Government Capital Grant Regeneration Fund and the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Renfrewshire Council is currently in the process of setting up Paisley Museum Reimagined Ltd, a new fundraising company which will oversee the project’s fundraising strategy and Capital Appeal. An application to give the company charitable status has been submitted to the Office of Scottish Charity Regulator.

Council Leader Iain Nicolson, chair of the Paisley City of Culture Partnership Board, said: “We are delighted to welcome Eric as our new capital appeals director.

“Eric brings a wealth of experience in fundraising and tremendous enthusiasm and energy to the team, and with his leadership of our capital appeal campaign we will deliver our vision for Paisley Museum.”